A Field Trip to Siem Reap!

Hi there! It’s been a while since I’ve blogged or put up pictures, but it’s been a little busy on here! Maggie and I just got back from our outing to Siem Reap with the second year girls. Our trip with the second years was awesome! The girls have been raising money all year and have been working really hard so they could go. While I’d already been once before with the other SLM volunteers last month during Khmer New Year, (you can read all about that adventure on Maggie’s blog), for some of the girls, it was their first time, so going with the girls was very special. Siem Reap is an 8 hour drive from Phnom Penh on a good day, so the bus ride was really interesting. There was a karaoke session and lots of debate on who was innocent in the Thai tv show we were watching, but we reached Siem Reap in no time! Now, Ankor Wat is beautiful and it's one thing to go by yourself and experience it, but it was even cooler to see it again with the girls. The girls were very proud of the Khmer heritage and were in awe at the great amounts of detail through the temples. I asked the girls how they felt knowing that their ancestors helped make this and they every single girls smiled and talked about how proud they were.

Performances at the cultural village

We first took a trip to the cultural village, which included artifacts, wax statues, and different performances from Cambodia. It was pretty cool and I loved it! The students really seemed to enjoy it too! It was interesting to not only see a history of Cambodia, but also the different cultures that influence Khmer culture. One of our students was even selected to perform with the dancers as a peacock! She looked adorable in her little peacock dress!  Our second day was spent at Angkor Wat, which was probably my favorite part of the whole trip. The morning started off super hot (nothing new), but none of us cared and we carried on all bundled up under scarves and straw hats, Maggie and I bathed in sunscreen, however that was all unnecessary because by the afternoon, it was pouring! Most of us got caught in the rain, but even that was a cool experience. Watching the rain from the inside of the temples was also pretty amazing! Even though we were all soaking wet, we made the best of it and had an awesome time. On our third day, we went to see this really awesome waterfall and of course the girls had to go swimming! We came back to Phnom Penh that Sunday, and I think we were all pretty beat. Monday was totally a rough one. 

Attempted group photo post rain! 

The second years took their final exams this week and then start their internships at the beginning of June. It's crazy to see how far they've come and that their internships are actually starting! The girls have internships all over the place, from airlines, to the US embassy, to the Don Bosco Children's Fund! I'm so excited to hear all about their experiences! I know I won't get to see them everyday, but I'm looking forward to talking about everything with them when I do! Maggie and I have already started the lengthy process of grading the finals. I'm not sure why I haven't asked for a TA sooner? Meanwhile, my first years are making their way through Charlotte’s Web, and while I’m not sure how interested they are, they’re making a lot of progress in reading and pronunciation. For some reason, they haven't really fallen in love with Wilbur yet, but hopefully all in due time? Maybe we’ll watch the movie after. If anything, I'm sure I'll have their attention then! 

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